This August 2010 photo shows the Nike campus from the air. Athletic footwear and apparel giant Nike Inc. plans to expand its operations in Oregon and hire hundreds of workers but wants the government to promise that tax rules won't change, prompting a special session of the Legislature.Torsten Kjellstrand/The Oregonian

Nike and local economic development officials were tight lipped Monday on details of the company's expansion plans -- the impetus for Gov. John Kitzhaber's unusual call for a special legislative session.

But business proponents and other major employers welcomed the news that Oregon might hold the line on any tax changes in exchange for a big investment in buildings, equipment and jobs.

Kitzhaber summoned legislators to Salem on Friday to ask them to vote on whether he should have authority to negotiate with any company planning to make $150 million in capital investment in Oregon and hire at least 500 people over five years. In exchange for the investment, the governor would be able to maintain the state's existing tax policy in regard to that company for a certain time frame.

Nike spokeswoman Mary Remuzzi would not say where the sports apparel maker plans to expand, what kind of jobs it would create or how many jobs would be involved beyond the 500 required by the governor's proposal. But elected officials Monday said they hoped the number would be several thousand new jobs over the next eight years.

Remuzzi said the company is reaching capacity at its existing Oregon offices. Nike employs about 8,000 in Oregon, including approximately 7,000 on its 213-acre campus near Beaverton. Since 2007, its local headcount has grown 60 percent, the company said, despite a layoff in 2009 that cut about 500 jobs.

If the legislation passes, Remuzzi said, "we're ready to move ahead" to address that crowding issue.

Nike leases office space throughout Washington County, including in the city of Beaverton and on land owned by Tektronix. In April, it paid $44 million to buy two office buildings near its headquarters that it had leased for several years, along with two buildings previously leased by IBM and 18 acres of vacant adjoining land.

Its growth has been fueled by a rapid worldwide sales boom, particularly in China, Latin America, Korea and other emerging markets. During its 2012 fiscal year, which ended May 31, international sales accounted for 58 percent of the company's $24 billion in revenue. As of May, it employed 44,000 worldwide.

The company recently announced deals to sell dress-shoe subsidiary Cole Haan and European soccer brand Umbro to focus on growing its core Nike brands in those high-growth markets.

"Nike is a global company with a long history in Oregon," chief financial officer Don Blair said in a statement. "We support this proposed legislation as a way to help us continue to grow in Oregon."

Kitzhaber cited a study done by the AECOM consulting firm for Nike. It found Nike's expansion could generate $2 billion a year and 12,000 direct and indirect jobs by 2020. Construction projects could include $440 million and more than 2,900 jobs.

"If we can execute this week, we'll have gone a long way to rebuilding Oregon's economy," said Ryan Deckert, president of the Oregon Business Association.

But Kitzhaber's proposal would benefit other companies willing to make large investments or expansions here -- most notably Intel.

The chipmaker is nearly finished building the first phase of a $3 billion research factory called D1X in Hillsboro. The company has said it expects to add 800 to 1,000 jobs when the facility opens next year.

In October, Intel said it will build an identical second phase adjacent to the first D1X building.

Apple, Facebook, Google, Amazon and an array of smaller companies are investing billions of dollars in rural and suburban Oregon to build large data centers that house massive volumes of data.

But Kitzhaber said Monday that the data centers wouldn't qualify for the new tax assurances because none of the facilities meet the 500-employee threshold.

Columbia Sportswear, another publicly traded company based near Nike in Washington County, applauded the proposal. It employs more than 1,400 in Oregon.

"As a general rule, Columbia supports establishment of consistent policies that promote long-term corporate investment in Oregon and in Oregon jobs," said Columbia Sportswear spokesman Ron Parham in an e-mail.